“I don’t think that he is one of the best keepers in the Premier League,” said Roberts. “I look at a club like maybe Sunderland who are down there and really struggling.

“I am not sure about (Costel) Pantilimon, if I am honest. I think he has got a mistake in his game. I don’t think there’s too many Premier League clubs that will be looking at Valdes to come in and be their number one.”

Former Barcelona goalkeeper Valdes joined United in January 2015 on a free transfer, but he is nowhere near the squad at the moment.

The Spain international has struggled with injuries since March 2014 and is past his prime.

Valdes has not made an appearance for the United first team this season, as he remains an outcast and is not in manager Louis van Gaal’s plans.

Sunderland are struggling for survival in the Premier League, but one suspects that signing a goalkeeper may not be high on manager Sam Allardyce’s agenda.

Valdes is a good goalkeeper, but he has not played first-team football for several months now, and it would be tough for a club in the Premier League to sign him and make him their first choice rightaway.

Subhankar Mondal

A football journalist based in Wakefield, Subhankar Mondal has previously worked for Goal.com International and Skysports.com, and has had his sports articles published in The Guardian and The Observer. He has also been on the BBC in the past and his name once found its way to the pages of the World Soccer magazine. He was recently cited in a major Louis van Gaal biography.